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April 21, 2020 By Kirsty DoyleComments Off on Quick Tips for your Small Business

It’s fair to say that most people have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, but we know that many small businesses are feeling particularly vulnerable right now. During these uncertain times, you may find you’ve got more time on your hands. Now is the perfect time to give your small business a quick health check.

Whether you’re a brick-and-mortar small business that’s temporarily closed your doors or an online business, we’re here to help you identify some quick fixes to help improve your business presence.

Business Address

It doesn’t matter if you are an entrepreneur, small business, freelancer or a Startup, having a physical business address is something that can professionalise your image and give your customers confidence and trust in your business. Using a professional business address can work towards improving your SEO ranking, add credibility to your business and most importantly keep your home address private.

There are three kinds of business addresses:

The registered office address where mail is received

The director services address which appears on the public records

The virtual office address which appears to the outside world that your business operates from – all of which we can help you with.

If you are considering looking into a business address but can’t afford premises we offer a Business Address service. With our professional business address, you can work from home, whilst all your correspondence and business cards have a prestigious city centre office address. If you’d like to read more take a look here.

Phone Number

When building up your own business, a simple thing like telephone numbers can be overlooked. You might be using your personal mobile or a landline currently to take business calls due to convenience. But there are some benefits of having a professional phone number, your business can appear bigger, protects your private contact details and presents a professional image at all times.

Our virtual office service can give your company the professional edge by providing you with a dedicated business telephone number and call answering service. If you’d like to read more take a look here.

Email Address

You may currently be using a free email account provider for business correspondence. Is it a Gmail? Outlook? Or Hotmail? Email accounts on free email services like jane.business@gmail.com are not good for business because they do not look professional. Your customers and other businesses will find a professional email address more trustworthy and credible. Take a look at the steps below on how to create your own business email address.

First things first you will need to have domain name and a website to create a free business email address. After you’ve sorted the above, you will need an email service provider to handle your business emails. Many hosting providers offer an email service as part of their package, please check when comparing providers.

Give it a go, it’s worth it.

Google My Business

Google My Business is a free listing service, which provides you with the ability to list your business location on Google Maps and local search results. If you haven’t got one set up, it’s incredibly easy to do so. Simply click the link here and go through the necessary steps. Setting up a Google My Business is one of the simplest and easiest ways you can be found online. As Google makes regular changes to its algorithms, if you want to get found in local search you need to have a Google My Business listing and optimising it on a regular basis is very important. Here are three ways to optimise your Google My Business:

Get your description as accurate as possible, try and include relevant keywords

Add posts to your profile

Collect reviews

Take the time to optimise your profile and treat it as a virtual shop window for your customers, give them an insight into who you are and what you do best.

If you’d like to know more about any of the above, please drop us an email on info@cottoncourt.co.uk and we’ll be happy to help.

Friday 15th November saw a team of us from Cotton Court take part in the Big PNE Sleepout. The event was organised by Preston North End in the Community, Blog Preston and BIFFA who have joined with The Foxton Centre – a Preston based charity celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2019.

Whilst we had time to prepare for this challenge, it wasn’t what we had expected and was much tougher than we initially thought.

We joined around 300 others who were also taking part, in the concourse at the stadium where we were handed a piece of cardboard that would act as our ‘bed’ for the night.

At first, it seems almost exciting to be able to take part in something that you wouldn’t usually find yourself doing. However, as the night goes on this challenge becomes exactly that and it is a hard one. The home comforts that we regularly take for granted like a comfy pillow and a nice mattress are missed. You may feel tired but to find that position that you are comfortable enough to sleep in without the luxuries that we are accustomed to is very difficult. The neck aches and back aches begin and it makes it somewhat impossible to sleep. On top of that you are battling with the cold!

When you do finally manage to drift off to sleep you are constantly tossing and turning meaning that you aren’t actually getting the sleep required in order to be able to feel satisfied.

This really highlighted for us what those that are homeless have to endure and on a much tougher scale. This helped us all stick it out despite some of us wanting to leave at points, because we knew that these people don’t have that choice.

It was a real eye opener being able to experience the sleepout and we are so very grateful to all of the organisers and everyone who supported us and donated. We were aiming as a team to raise £1000 and to date we have raised £1193 so a huge thank you to all of you. We sincerely hope that this money can contribute to making a difference in Preston where homelessness is a major issue.

The Sleep Out had a target of £50,000 to raise for The Foxton Centre’s Housing First scheme and has already exceeded this in online donations.

November 19, 2019 By Amy BlundellComments Off on Natwest Events 26th November 2019

We are excited to be hosting the Back Her Business workshop on Tuesday 26th November in partnership with NatWest and Crowdfunder. The event will teach entrepreneurs all about how crowdfunding works, and how crowdfunding in general and Back Her Business, in particular, can be an effective way to get your new business up and running.

These events are a must-attend for an idea or early-stage businesses and entrepreneurs that are serious about growth!

November 1, 2019 By Amy BlundellComments Off on Cotton Court take part in the Big PNE Sleepout!

On Friday 15th November the Cotton Court team along with hundreds of people will be sleeping out at Preston Deepdale Stadium to raise funds for the Foxton Centre. The Foxton Centre is a Preston based charity who are committed to helping adults and young people within the local community

Helping the city’s homeless, the sleep out aims to raise £50,000 to buy a house for Preston’s rough sleepers under the charity’s Housing First initiative. You can donate to our page here

Here at Cotton Court we are entering a team of around 15 people, made up of staff and customers, to sleep out and hope to raise more than £1,000 between us!

Rochelle, said: “We are very proud to be able to be a part of the Big PNE Sleepout. Homelessness is a major issue in Preston and if we can contribute to raising awareness and money to support this cause then why not be involved.”

October 22, 2019 By Amy BlundellComments Off on HLS Construction Training and Health and Safety Consultation

We are pleased to be holding the HLS #SMSTS Refresher and #SSSTS course here at Cotton Court on the 23rd-24th and the 30th-31st October 2019!

HLS are specialists in Construction Training and Health and Safety Consultation across the UK and are delighted to announce the launch of their new Preston Venue!

The team of multidisciplinary Health and Safety Instructors can provide you with both Training and Consultancy services on request. They are highly qualified and motivated to provide a top-class service. Having a North West base in Preston’s beautiful Cotton Court is fantastic as it’s so close to all amenities and travel is made so much easier. HLS will be launching the CITB Site Safety Plus courses in October 2019 including Site Managers Training Scheme (SMSTS) and Supervisors Safety Training Scheme (SSSTS) and more.

October 21, 2019 By Amy BlundellComments Off on Experience Next Generation Wellness at Cotton Court Business Centre, with YOLO Wellbeing

Cotton Court has teamed up with YOLO Wellbeing, a completely new and innovative, workplace wellness experience; to promote National Stress Awareness Day on 6th November 2019.

With a growing emphasis on mental health prevention, employers are finding themselves increasingly responsible for the welfare of their employees in the workplace. Forward-thinking businesses are already recognising that effective Wellbeing initiatives can have significant and positive benefits on morale, retention and reputation, particularly when looking at talent acquisition.

Robert Binns, Cotton Court said “ After meeting with Cheryle and seeing the mobile unit, it was instantly something that I knew we had to have down at Cotton Court. And what better day to do it than on National Stress Awareness Day?

Mental health and wellbeing has become such a big topic over recent times so it will be fantastic to be able to give staff and clients at Cotton Court the opportunity to be able to take 15 minutes out of their day to benefit from the YOLO Wellbeing experience”

The YOLO Wellbeing experience has been developed by Founder, Cheryle Britton, to offer workplace wellbeing that improves the physical and mental health of employees through the delivery of massage and meditation. Promoted as 15 minutes of pure relaxation; employees feel rewarded by their experience, and by their employer, making it a win-win investment.

The most unique element of YOLO Wellbeing is that it is delivered in a customised, mobile unit, which is brought to your premises; once onsite the van is completely self-sufficient, running on batteries fuelled by solar energy. The YOLO Wellbeing environment is a very calm space, that allows you to very quickly de-stress and relax.

Originally from a corporate background, Cheryle was keen to ensure that the YOLO Wellbeing experience is really easy to implement. In addition to the mobile space, she has created a secure online booking system. This means your staff can book their own appointments in advance, minimising the need for internal planning and resource.

Cheryle comments “I’m really excited to be working with Cotton Court to raise awareness of stress; particularly as it is one of the main contributors to mental ill/health and workplace absence.

“YOLO Wellbeing is has been designed to improve both the mental and physical health of your employees, whilst providing an experience that will significantly boost morale in your workplace.”

About YOLO Wellbeing

The YOLO Wellbeing concept was developed by Founder, Cheryle Britton, who, whilst on a family holiday in Sri Lanka, she was inspired by the stress-relieving benefits of Ayurvedic Massage. She spent the next 12 months retraining, researching and developing the techniques used in the YOLO Wellbeing head, neck and shoulder massage; which in clinical trials have been proven to inhibit the release of the stress hormone, Cortisol; and boost the production of feel-good neurotransmitters: Serotonin, Dopamine and Oxytocin.

YOLO Wellbeing has been designed to be easy to implement, requiring minimum resource and minimum disruption to your business. All appointments are pre-booked via a secure online site; the YOLO Wellbeing environment is brought to your business premises, and employees only require 15 minutes away from their desk to receive the treatment. For more information please visit www.yolowellbeing.co.uk.

October 10, 2019 By Amy BlundellComments Off on National Baby Swimming Week With Water Babies!

To celebrate National Baby Swimming Week which is 13th – 19th October 2019 we turn our attention to our second-floor residents Water Babies. In May last year, Holly Unsworth was the youngest ever owner of a Water Babies swimming business and has had an office at Cotton Court from day 1!

Who are they?

25-year old Bolton-born Holly Unsworth runs the Lancashire and Bolton Water Babies, the world’s largest baby and toddler swimming franchise business.

The team, based at Cotton Court employs 15 people, including Jess (office manager), and admin assistants Gemma, VJ and Leo.

What do they do?

The Lancashire and Bolton Water Babies franchise teaches around 900 babies a week. The sessions focus on teaching parents how to teach their babies to swim so that they can support them as they learn an important skill and develops confidence. As the world’s largest professional baby and toddler swimming programme, Water Babies teach around 47,000 children at over 560 pools every week.

What makes Water Babies great?

Baby swimming with Water Babies is an exciting, enriching experience for both parent and child. Not only does it teach vital life skills, but it also enhances the way babies and toddlers learn other skills, too. Holly and the team, work hard to make sure they have exceptionally high standards of professionalism, and no one else works harder to make sure the babies feel happy and safe. Holly said

“ We always incorporate lots of bonding, fun and socialising, so you can be sure that a Water Baby is a happy baby!”

Holly was first inspired to dip her toe in the water as a Water Babies baby swimming teacher when she used to help out as a pool attendant as a teenager. She would watch the classes and be completely in awe of the incredible bond the teachers had with the babies. She always loved children, and she knew then that she wanted to be a part of this special time in their lives.

Holly gained several years’ teaching experience from working for a neighbouring Water Babies office, where she had the chance to run her own classes locally and jumped at it.

What does Holly like best about having her own business?

She enjoys watching the little ones as they progress each week, and knowing that not only has she helped them in their swimming journey but have also watched them grow up, is a real privilege.

She enjoys the freedom that being her own boss gives her, she has a great team and loves being able to help her team develop and progress in their own careers.

When asked what she thought made them successful, Franchisee Holly said “Everyone is so professional and willing to help. We’ll do as much as we can for each other and the customers and we’re all the best at what we do.”

How can you find them?

You can get in touch with WaterBabies Lancashire by email at: digiswim@waterbabies.co.uk

August 1, 2019 By Amy BlundellComments Off on Northern Heart Films Customer Spotlight

In this weeks ‘Company Spotlight,’ we are looking at one of our in house customers ‘Northern Heart Films’. Read more about what they do below…

Company name –
Northern Heart Films

Physical address per location –
Natasha and Scott joined us here at Cotton Court in February 2019. However, the company was created in January 2017

About Us / Our Story / Our Beginning –
We make films that touch the heart. At Northern Heart Films we work across a wide range of film formats which include Corporate Films, Documentaries, Shorts and Branded Content. Our work has been recognised nationally and we have won awards which include ‘Creative Award’ from Lancashire Business View Sub36 and the prestigious Royal Television Society ‘Open Award.’ The only way to make great films is to hire great storytellers and that’s why we’re here.

Missions/ Values –

We want to tell real stories that can motivate change.

Products and services –

We offer a film production service to make short films.

If you are in need of a helping hand with your filming then contact Northern heart Films on:

July 26, 2019 By Amy BlundellComments Off on Initiate Theatre Customer Spotlight

In this weeks ‘Company Spotlight,’ we are looking at one of our desk space residents Initiate Theatre and what they do…

Company name –

Initiate Theatre Ltd

Initiate Theatre joined us at Cotton Court in March 2019 after setting up in November 2018

About Us / Our Story / Our Beginning –

The company was founded by Andrew Sumner in November 2018. Initiate Theatre aims to explore your creative juices, unlock your imagination and help you to discover your potential. They create exciting Theatre, deliver quality education and training Workshops, and provide entertainment for birthday parties and events for children & adults throughout the Northwest.

They are looking to expand as a business and take on more productions and gain more experience within different sectors.

Team –

Products and services –

Initiate Theatre offers a wide range of services such as workshops, performances and parties. They have received a lot of positive feedback from the services shown through the website and through social media.

“We have just had an Afternoon Tea, where we booked our entertainment from Initiate Theatre. A young gentleman named Jack‘ came and sang for us. Jack was absolutely fabulous, he got everyone in the room, Singing, Clapping, Foot Tapping and Dancing. Highly Recommend if you have a function coming up. Easy to book through the Theatre by a gentleman named Andrew, from beginning to end of booking he was lovely and very helpful in all my needs. Jack is a lovely young man. Thank you so much Initiate Theatre”

If you would like to get in contact with initiate theatre call or email them on…

The annual event is organised by the North & Western Lancashire Chamber of Commerce’s Preston Business Improvement District (BID), with the intent of bringing thousands of party goers into the city centre to stimulate the night-time economy & celebrate the coveted purple flag accreditation.

This year’s sell-out event has surpassed all previous years in terms of attendance, economic impact and customer feedback.

The planning and execution of the event has been led by Preston BID, alongside a careful selection of expert providers from the Preston and Central Lancashire area.

Invoke saw three of its key clients involved in the event. Preston BID as the event organiser, Get Staffed providing the bar and hospitality team, and UK Media & Events as the event management and production agency.

In addition to client involvement, Invoke Media took the marketing lead for the event for the third year running, providing paid social advertisements, messenger marketing, live video streams and overall marketing consultancy & support; helping Preston BID sell 95% of its online tickets before the event.

Jack Barron, Director of Invoke Media said:

“It’s one of those rare occasions where we get to collaborate with multiple key clients on the same project. It was a great experience to work with like-minded people, each an expert in their own field, to put together an excellent event that has driven thousands of people into the city centre. Our involvement and that of three key clients makes this a quadruple win for us and extremely satisfying.”

He continued:

“The main reason we moved Invoke Media to Preston from Manchester was to support and be a part of the development & investment that is happening in our city, my hometown. It’s events like this, local collaboration and hard-working organisations like Preston BID that are driving growth and making us a true contender in the region, we can’t wait until next year”

Mark Whittle, Manager of Preston BID said:

“Preston BID worked with a close-knit team of local trusted businesses, to plan and execute our most successful event to date. By working with Preston businesses we’ve not only ensured a sell-out, well-run event; we’ve fed back into the local economy and supported chamber members.“

Further Information

Invoke Media is a marketing agency based at Preston’s Cotton Court Business Centre. Incorporated as a limited company in 2013 and operating from Manchester city centre, it returned to Preston in summer of 2018 to support the development of the city and local area.

Working with local success stories such as the San Marco Group, GetStaffed, Baluga Bar & Club, Cotton Court Business Centre and the North & Western Lancashire Chamber of Commerce, they have truly ingrained themselves in the local economy and the success stories it creates.